Devices and methods for performing in-vivo medical procedures and imagery are known in the art. Such devices may be, for example, inserted into a patient's body and advanced through internal lumens or cavities of the body to a site of interest located inside a patient's body.
One group of in-vivo medical devices includes various endoscopic systems. The imaging capabilities of such endoscopic systems may be limited and provide only a partial forward field of vision, although some endoscope systems do allow for the field of view to be changed. Additionally, although a variety of medical instruments may be passed through the endoscopic tube to enable treatment at a site of interest, such instruments are usually relatively cumbersome and may require complicated controls and cause pain or discomfort to a patient.
Another group of devices for performing in-vivo medical procedures and imagery includes autonomous in-vivo devices. An example of such devices may be a swallowable device such as a capsule having an optical assembly capable of providing images from inside a body cavity or lumen such as the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The design of autonomous in-vivo devices, such as swallowable capsules, may be subjected to size constraints and other limitations.
It would be desirable to have a medical instrument having improved qualities such as maneuverability and control and substantially small dimensions that is suitable for a wide variety of medical tasks, and that in addition may include controls or devices for manipulating objects, tools or substances within or external to the device.